BASES Conference 2018 Programme

Invited keynote:- Physical activity for health: the past, the present and the future

Professor Steven N. Blair, University of South Carolina, USA

This keynote lecture will discuss the pioneering and landmark studies that have demonstrated the link between physical activity and health. Prof Steven N. Blair will then highlight and discuss key topical issues, challenges and controversies in the field, before speculating on potential future research directions and developments.

11:10-11:30

Poster viewing, exhibition
and refreshments

11:30-12:45

Parallel invited symposia

Applications of interval training to health and high performance

Prof Jens Bangsbo, University of Copenhagen, Denmark and Dr Kathryn Weston, Teesside University

Repeated bouts of intense exercise interspersed with short periods of recovery has gained acceptance in a number of health, community and sports performance settings. This session will explore the efficacy and effectiveness of various interval training approaches, proposed mechanisms of action and how they might be incorporated within the broader exercise strategy to improve an individual’s health and performance capability.

In this session, Prof Jason Gill and Dr Trudi Deakin will outline and debate the latest evidence and research exploring the relationship between diet, exercise and health, with a focus on the role played by sugar consumption in the prevention and management of obesity and cardio-metabolic disease.

Self-control in sport and exercise settings

Dr Chris Englert, University of Bern, Switzerland and Dr Ian Taylor, Loughborough University

From regulating anxiety and controlling impulsive behaviour, to maintaining motivation to go to the gym, at some point in our lives we all rely on self-control. In this session Dr Ian Taylor and Dr Chris Englert will explore the ways in which practitioners can apply self-control strategies in everyday practice to advance performance and will present potential future avenues for research.

12:45

Lunch

13:00-14:00

Poster discussions and
exhibition

14:00-15:30

Parallel free communication
sessions

15:30-16:00

Exhibition and refreshments

16:00-17:15

Parallel invited symposia

Concussion and impact injuries in sport: key issues and controversies

Dr Carolyn Emery, University of Calgary, Canada and Dr Willie Stewart, University of Glasgow

In this session Dr Carolyn Emery will discuss concussion and impact injury prevention, exploring risk factors and prevention strategies for reducing the risk of injury in youth sport and recreation. Dr Willie Stewart will explore some of the key issues and controversies related to his team’s work investigating the range of pathologies that occur in people exposed to repetitive traumatic brain injury in sport.

Inter-individual variability in sport and exercise: implications for training programmes and precision medicine

Prof Yannis Pitsiladis, University of Brighton and Prof Greg Atkinson, Teesside University

In the era of personalised exercise medicine, two important questions are whether individual differences exist in the magnitude of response to exercise training; and to what extent certain phenotypes and/or genotypes explain this response heterogeneity. In this session, Prof Greg Atkinson will address the first of these questions, while Prof Yannis Pitsiladis will address the latter.

Clinical exercise physiology: new insights into the role of exercise in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation

Prof Sally Singh, University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust and Dr Gavin Sandercock, University of Essex

This session will address state-of-the art evidence concerning the potential of physical activity in rehabilitating people who have cardiovascular and/or respiratory conditions. Prof Sally Singh and Dr Gavin Sandercock will highlight both the benefits and limitations of exercise as a component of rehabilitation programmes and will summarise recent recommendations for the role that exercise can play in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.

Physical activity: challenges in global and national health to that of the individual person

Prof Ken Fox FBASES, University of Bristol, Prof Steven Blair, University of South Carolina, USA and Prof John Buckley FBASES, University of Chester

In this roundtable session, Prof Steven N. Blair will elaborate on his keynote lecture regarding research and policy needs at the
international level; Prof Ken Fox will address support needs for activity
interventions and their evaluation at the local level in the UK; and Prof John
Buckley will explore issues relating to exercise needs at the individual level,
with particular reference to sedentary behaviour and light intensity physical
activity.

Exploring the “grey area” between mental toughness and perceptions of bullying

Prof Lew Hardy FBASES, University of Bangor, Dr Emma Kavanagh, University of Bournemouth and David Young, England and Wales Cricket Board

Competing in elite level sports is a tough environment. Coaches often attempt to prepare athletes to deal with such environments, however, recent articles in the media have drawn attention to the issue of athlete well-being and instances of “abusive” coaching practices. This session will examine the fine line between developing tough training environments and coaching practices that could be perceived as over-stepping the line.

The biomechanics of football: from performance to injury mechanisms and rehabilitation

Prof Jim Richards, University of Central Lancashire and Dr Neal Smith, University of Chichester

In this session Dr Neal Smith and Prof Jim Richards will discuss techniques for optimising performance through non-linear movement analysis and explore evidence-based approaches for preventing injuries and improving rehabilitation in football and team sports.

This session will provide an overview of REF 2021 and will outline the criteria and working methods which will be used by sub-panel 24 (Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism) to assess outputs, impact and environment. The outcomes of the public consultation on the draft guidance and criteria will be presented and participants will have an opportunity to seek clarification on the proposed methods to be used.

Perspectives on talent identification and acquisition in high performance sport

Dr Marije Elferink-Gemser, University of Groningen, Netherlands and Elliott Newell, English Institute of Sport

Multiple factors are important for the development of athletes throughout adolescence. Some of these are sport specific, but there are also more generic skills that are relevant to most sports, such as self-regulation. This session will explore what determines the future success of youth athletes and how we can use that to optimally guide our talented athletes towards success.

The optimisation of the gut microbiome for athlete health can have indirect benefits for performance; and research investigating performance benefits from alterations in the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal environment is emerging. This session will explore the impact of commensal bacteria on sports performance, as well as mechanisms of action within the small intestine. Preliminary data from a range of athletes and sports will examine differences in diversity and investigate the potential use of gut microbiome as a biomarker for certain clinical situations.

Based on his extensive research and experiences as a top-flight coach, Prof Jens Bangsbo will explore how the physiology of soccer can be translated to inform the practices of elite coaches and players in the field. Particular emphasis will focus on the potential causes of fatigue and how different training approaches can be combined to encourage specific physiological adaptations to optimise soccer performance.